Industry safety

Roderick.

January 13 2018 Truck industry demands $12 million to tackle soaring death toll.
The truck industry has demanded a cash injection of more than $12 million from the government for road safety, as industry leaders concede there is a "problem" with truck deaths and slow uptake of safer vehicles.
Australian Trucking Association has called for the formation of a National Road Safety Commission, and says the Australian Transport Safety Bureau should take over responsibility for investigating truck accidents.
An accident involving a sedan and a truck on the Princes Highway near Berry, NSW, last year. Photo: Adam McLean AMZ The government should spend another $8 million over the next four years on safety initiatives for heavy vehicles, the association argues in a pre-budget submission, as well as giving an extra $4.3 million to the ATSB.
Separately, the Truck Industry Council told the government it could save four lives a year by subsidising the modernisation of Australian truck fleets.
It follows Fairfax Media's revelation that truck deaths in NSW soared by 86 per cent last year, from 29 to 54, accounting for nearly 50 per cent of all deaths involving articulated trucks in Australia. Deaths in other states decreased.
"We've come a long way but we still have a long way to go," said the trucking association chief-of-staff Bill McKinley. "As long as a single person is killed in an accident involving a heavy vehicle, yes, there's a problem."
Currently, fatal truck crashes are investigated by state coroners, a process that may take years. Under the truckers' proposal, serious truck accidents would be investigated by the ATSB, which is accustomed to making preliminary findings about aviation, rail and maritime incidents in just a month. There should also be a public, national database of coronial recommendations, the ATA urged.
It also recommended the government take over management of the Heavy Vehicle Safety Initiatives program and to inject an extra $2 million a year to fund practical safety measures.
Mr McKinley acknowledged there was also a role for the industry to play in curbing excessive overtime and drug-taking by truck drivers. He said a new national regime to commence in July – backed by the industry – would impose tougher regulations and penalties.
"I'm not saying it doesn't happen, I am saying there is a strong push to stamp it out," Mr McKinley said. "Driver fatigue is a serious problem and companies have very stringent obligations to manage it."
Anthony McMullan, chief executive of the Truck Industry Council, proposed a series of offsets – up to 50 per cent – for fleet operators to purchase newer, environmentally sound and safer trucks.
According to his analysis, the safety features of new trucks – including lane assistance, electronic stability control and underrun protection systems – could save about four lives a year, based on factors contributing to previous fatalities.
"The uptake of these [new] vehicles isn't as high as what one would expect or hope for. There is a problem there," Mr McMullan said.
"It's not to say that [older] vehicles aren't safe. A truck properly maintained is safe. It's just that newer trucks have newer technologies and we should be trying to encourage the uptake of these newer technologies on to our road network."
< www.theage.com.au/federal-politics/polit...20180109-h0fkso.html >

Hmmmmmmm

Don't look good for me and Mrs Mack then

I wonder with truck accidents and deaths whether the have figures split into long haul and local

And also if you are paying off a new truck you would be under the pump a lot more than a old truck you own out right

Im always sceptical of such figures as we don't know who's study and what figures such things are geared towards

Maybe it's all the imported drivers on visa's are making our roads less safe ???

Dunno but we can twist figures to mean anything we like


Paul

Before we read more publications from the media about Trucks and Accidents and then start to discuss the items mentioned in this most recent jumble of numbers and excuses.
The simple answer is get on with enforcing the COR as it is the only way you will get an outcome that will fix the problem, this Law makes the consignee and the consigner responsible as well as every one involved in delivering the goods.
Rex

I am surprised that NSW has seen an increase in truck related fatalities v/s a general decline in other states. From what I have seen they are much stricter on enforcement than Victoria is.

Here in the States the last figure I heard was that in car/truck fatalities over 70% of the time the CAR was at fault.. BUT the politicians say/do nothing about educating the car drivers. Is it the same down your way??

Bad one near Dubbo yesterday, that one was definitely the trucks fault, seems he did not even slow down for roadworks signs.
On several of the trips in VP we have managed so far we have had heavy vehicles following within 2 metres of the trailer at 100+ kph. To me this is madness, on one occasion I told the guy I was not comfortable and he backed off a bit, on another near Warwick it seemed to make him come closer.
Good and bad on both sides I think.
I am thinking of adding a switch to the dash that is connected to a valve on the black tank..... you can see where this is heading......
Out of the farm in 36 days, but whose counting ? ME !

Paul where you live I'll bet you see lots of near misses from the overseas drivers.
I have doubts when statistics are involved, there's nearly always an egenda for some department's money grab.
But I did a few k's over Christmas, NSW and VIC and the standard of the average driver was simply appalling. When overtaking I'd check if those hands were at 10 and 2 and sure enough about 99% hanging on for grim death.
As soon as the freeway ended and the road went back to what we drove on in the "olden days" the speed would drop back to their comfort zone. Of course once on a passing lane that speed would rocket away, so annoying.
One thing I noticed in NSW was their on ramps are way too short, at least half of what we have in QLD and some even shorter. I saw one cop car pull out of a stop and he gunned that thing like a Bathurst entrant, simply to reach 110 by the end of the on ramp as the bloody inconsiderate drivers down there refuse to move out of the left lane and assist an entering vehicle.
Of course when I pulled out of that same ramp I would have been up to about 60 by the end of the ramp so there was lots of horn blowing and abuse, even though their right lane was empty !!!
F**k em.

Having just moved to SA Ive seen some crazy car/truck and car/car near misses in the last few weeks, especially on the freeway. Car drivers just don't seem to understand the room the trucks need to slow down/ change lanes etc. and of course being SA drivers seem to be blind to the "keep left unless overtaking" signs and just casually drive in the right hand lane at whatever speed they please. Even some of the car drivers seem to resent being overtaken when they are doing 80 in the left lane and will speed up to force you back behind them only to slow back down to 80 again as soon as you merge, I'm quite surprised there isnt far more road rage incidents.

Jeffo,

The correct driving position for your hands in a car is 1/4 to 3.

This gives the maximum wheel movement for the minimum wheel deflection, making steering easier and more precise.

Yes I was taught 10 to 2 when I was a lad but do you ever see a race or rally driver do that?

I hate looking at Learner drivers with hands all over the place because Mum and Dad know no better.

Daughter's driving instructor said quarter to 3 due to airbag.....

Re: tailgaters and black water - a friend of mine hooked up a spare windscreen squirter bottle full of some sort of oil, aimed into the carby of his HT Holden panelvan. Pushing a button on the dash would result in thick clouds of smoke from his exhaust. Reckons it worked a treat
Same car also had the "bonnet" cable hooked up to an air horn....(in case of thieves)

Jarrod.